Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-12-03
MR.. BENONTS STORY.

Al iDs 1SiSAi - ~ 4 ~ ~ VIII
'Tliss is Mr.. Bcnoni, said my friend
Or. Banks, rs 2 sudden turn in the gravel
xnlx L.ou3at us alaioat fasc to face with
man seated on a rustic bench. "AIr.
Benoni is friend Of mine, and is hero ON
WISH. This last was said by way of
introduction in Mr. Benoni's hearing, he
having risen and advanced towards us.
lie was tall, proportionately broad, and
lis steel gray hair framed an intellectual
face. ..Mr. Benoni," continued DIR.
Banks, when we had sauntered up to the
,ench and seated ourselves, cloves ma
cure. venture to say that two hours
before we were stirring be was wander
ing through tile garden listening TO the
voices OF the morning. I"
Yes, said Mr.. Benoni, ~ was out
early this charming morning; and where
could one enjoy it more fully than in this
beautiful garden? Your friend - adj
dressing me made fortunate choice
when he selected this site for q country
place. One can roam for hours without
firing through the spacious grounds. Dir,
Banks understands nae. lie knows that
love to commune with nature, and he
often leaves me undisturbed in the soli-
tpde Of some shady retreat. There Is
but one objection to the place, and that
objection arises through the doctors
own fault. | speak frankly and with
out reference TO yourself --he has
too many friends. The house Is often
full Of them. He is constantly asking
PEOPLE to visit him, and those who come
usually stay long time. They interfere
with my enjoyment Of nature. When
have found a solitary aock where ] can
remain undistrrbeu, one Of che doctor s
friends appears in yiew-more than
likely Mr.. Arundel, who is seated yonder
reading, and who seems to have o habit
Of getting in my way. When / first Wis
tied the doctor here, he did not have SO
many friends. But | suppose his con
stantly growing practice has brought him
into contact with many people. ! will
not be so selfish as to wish that he had
been less successful But | am growing
oil now, inclined to be querulous, and
have been here SO long that regard the
place somewhat as my own. Hence my
seankness. | leye the doctor-he is the
only man love-for only he, the birds
and the flowers understand me.
DIR. Banks had been listening with 6
good natured look to Mr.. Benoni's strict
ures on his liberality. "Benoni,o he
said II am sure my friend is another
man who will understand you. il you will
tell him your story. He has Travelled
much, seen much and read much, bur
am quite sure he has never had or heard
OF /, stranger experience than yours. He
i, my best friend in strong sympathy
with all my thoughts and opinions; and
am convinced that as understand you,
50 will he.
Mr.. Benoni looked at me earnestly, and
t',en bowed his head meditatively. Look
ing suddenly up again and pointing to a
| lily which rose majestically yet gracefully
above a bed of flowers, he said: "That
lily brings wildly before me form Of
grace and a. face of beauty-the form and
flce of my dead wife. hold the doctor
.laar above all other men, because he
| knew her and remembers her beauty.
love nature, because in all that is beauti-
| FIJI in nature can see her. Hence / love
soirude, because in solitude | can best
commune with what is most beautiful in
nature.
No one who never knew my wife can
appreciate the shadow which her death
las cast over my life, or form an idea
of the grief and despair which since then
has entered my heart. We had known
| each other since childhood, for we lad
grown up together. Our parents houses
were adjoining. We. romped together
with the children of the neighborhood.
Ii those childhood games assumed O
kind of protectorate over her, and
in those disputes in which chill
dren's sports not infrequently end ]
took care that she was never
wronged. / remember especially ono
occasion when was her champion. As
n child. already Alice had O profusion OF
black hair. In the days when we played
those fonping games it was bound by o
single ribbon, from which it fell over he1
shoulders and back. When size ran, her
motions were grace itself. Her cheeks
| giowed with excitement, and her haii
streamed in the breeze. One day boy.
who was running after her in one of ouI
games, in his eagerness to catch her. in.
stead of waiting till he gained on her suf'
ficiently to grasp her arm, caught her
streaming hair. The check was SO sud
den and SO rude that she fell with SHARP
cry Of pain. What followed / cannoi